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Joined: 22 Oct 2012
Posts: 65
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 Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:05 am Post subject: Dual Battery Setup? |
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The downside with a single battery setup and auxiliary loads when the car isn't running is that the voltage drops as capacity is used. A starting battery is designed to provide a lot of amps quickly - when it provides a small amount of amps over a longer period of time, the voltage drops more than with a deep
cycle. If you're providing a lot of amps over an 8ga wire, the voltage will drop quicker. And thus, you run the risk of not being able to start the car.
One solution is to use a controller that monitors the battery voltage and cuts off the auxiliary load before the main battery drains beyond starting voltage. Koolatron offers a "battery saver" that does just this. See their FAQ for more info on power and their products. This is not a high-draw solution though - it appears to be designed for a 5a load. Another solution is to carry jumper cables or an auxiliary battery booster just in case. 
What I'd like to do is install a second battery (deep cycle) and use a charging relay, which will keep both batteries isolated, even when charging. I'd use this battery for a fridge and/or an inverter to power AC items like a laptop. Many people also use the auxiliary battery for a winch connection. There are some great sealed AGM batteries (Energy 1 by Northstar is one example I'm familiar with from boating) that could potentially be intalled on their side in the main cabin. But my preference would be to use a deep cycle Optima in the engine compartment to keep the charging wire as short as possible.
1996 Mercury Mystique AC Compressor |
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